The Canvass for 2023: The Power of Homecoming
When we come home, we are welcomed with open arms.
When we come home, we embrace all, in the renewal of community.
When we come home, we bring gifts.
Each of us is a gift.
God loves us just as we are.
Saint Mark’s invites all of us to share in our community, which is bound by the love of God.
We can’t thank you enough for all the support and pledges received so far! We are at 55% or $544,216 of our stewardship 2023 goal! If you haven’t had the chance, now is the time to make a 2023 pledge, and there are many ways you can fulfill that pledge.
Parishioner pledges provide 85-88% of the funding for Saint Mark’s every year and a similar proportion of volunteer time. During the annual canvass campaign, our pledge confirms our commitment to our faith community and allows the staff and lay leadership to develop a budget for the coming year.
How do we shape our budgets? Find out on September 25, October 16, and November 13
Three Stewardship Forums will bring us together to learn about the practical financial side of our organization and the faith-filled mission exemplified in the way we do God’s work.
The forums will happen on three Sundays, at 10 am between the two morning services and following the 5 p.m. service.
Giving – Sunday, September 25, 10 a.m. and following the 5 p.m. service
This forum provided an overview of our finances and presented our goals.
Welcoming – Sunday, October 16, 10 a.m. and following the 5 p.m. service
Representatives for three of our Pillars – Worship, Christian Education, and The Arts – presented and answered questions. Comments by Rector Michele Morgan and Senior Warden Linell Grundman.
Click to view the presentation and Q&A.
(The first minute of the introduction was not recorded.)
Community – Sunday, November 13, 10 a.m. and following the 5 p.m. service
Representatives for three of our Pillars – Parish Life, Outreach, and Community Care – will present and answer questions.
Why should I pledge to invest in Saint Mark’s?
By pledging to Saint Mark’s, you declare that you want to be a part of our faith community. Your pledge bolsters our mission, ministries, and programs and the wider Episcopal Church. It empowers us, together, to bring more light, more love, and more God into our community and the world. Pledging reminds us that all we have is a gift from God. We give out of this abundance.
Annual pledges from parishioners allow the staff and lay leadership to develop a budget for the coming year with more clarity about finances that will be available. And pledging provides you with an official record of your annual donations to Saint Mark’s for tax purposes.
How will my pledge be spent?
Saint Mark’s develops a budget each year. The largest part supports fair compensation and benefits to our clergy and staff. Your pledge also supports our efforts in Worship, Youth and Family, Music, Outreach, the Arts, Christian Education, Community Caregiving, and Parish Life. We pay to maintain and improve the building and, as needs arise and funding becomes available, undertake larger projects. Our budget covers expenses for utilities, trash removal and other services, required safety inspections, office and program supplies, and the specialized supplies to support worship and other church activities. It also covers expenses for insurance, legal advice, and technology.
Your pledge payments allow us to continue growing and planning for the future.
What is the fundraising goal?
To continue all of our efforts at current levels, we’ve set a goal of $988,000 for the 2023 Canvass. Our aspirational goal is to raise $1,257,000. The extra funding will be used for new staff, and increased funding for inside ministry, the diocesan pledge, outreach, and advertising. It will also fund a redesign of the website and building improvements.
From the Co-Chairs
Being Co-Chairs for this robust Annual Pledge Campaign has reunited us, Linell and Nora, after nearly 25 years. The first loving and important long term task for St. Mark’s we undertook in the 1990s was a year of training for The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and writing a proposal to ask if we could bring it to St. Mark’s youngest Sunday School classes. Fast forward to today and the work of planning this campaign has been equally fun and rewarding. We are working with such a great team and we hope to engage the community about stewardship, connection, working together, and building a bright future for our church family.
No one likes to ask for money. But we know this activity each year is about so much more than that. It is about seeing where we are. It is about making a commitment. It is about having faith and making that an act of love and trust to a community, your community. We wanted to emphasize education about how we operate as an important part of this campaign. We have included in the Stewardship Forums an opportunity for you to learn more about our Pillars and their dreams.
The truth is that the Canvass is really about dreaming and visioning who we can be. Our beloved member, now in glory, Vern Dozier, wrote a book called The Dream of God. In so many ways Stewardship is part of our dream of doing God’s work at St. Mark’s. Thank you for joining the adventure.
Linell Grundman and Nora Howell
2023 Annual Pledge Campaign/Canvass Co-Chairs
How much should I pledge?
Choosing a pledge amount is a personal decision influenced by many factors, including your financial situation. Any amount that you can commit to sustain the Saint Mark’s community is needed and welcomed. Here are some factors to consider in determining the amount of your pledge in 2023:
- What makes you feel cheerful: “Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7). If you have chosen a pledge amount for 2023, and you are not feeling cheerful about your pledge, you probably have pledged too much or too little.
- Pledges made by other parishioners: The average pledge in 2022 was $3,221. The table below provides data from the 2022 Canvass. It shows that we receive pledges in a wide range of dollar amounts, from under $50 to more than $10,000. We are grateful for the generosity expressed in each pledge, and as the chart shows, every pledge is important to supporting the work of our church.
| Pledge Amount | Number of Pledge Units |
Total Amount Pledged |
Percentage of Total Pledged |
| $1 – $1,000 | 70 | $35,046 | 4% |
| $1,001 – $3,000 | 95 | $185,186 | 22% |
| $3,001 – $5,000 | 42 | $170,914 | 20% |
| $5,001 – $8,000 | 22 | $144,020 | 17% |
| $8,001 – $10,000 | 12 | $115,740 | 13% |
| $10,001+ | 12 | $206,279 | 24% |
| TOTALS | 253 | $857,185 | 100% |
- Percentage of your household income: Choose a percentage of your household income to determine your pledge amount. Use the Percentage Giving Chart (PDF) to estimate the annual pledge commitment that corresponds to various percentages of your annual household income.
- Your current pledge: If you made a pledge for 2022, that can be a good baseline for your 2023 pledge. If you can increase your pledge, you will help us offset inflation as the costs to operate Saint Mark’s rise.
How do I pay my pledge?
You will have until December 2023 to pay your 2023 pledge. Most parishioners pay their pledge through incremental payments made throughout the year (e.g., pay one-twelfth of the pledge each month). You may pay all or part of your pledge through online giving, check, via the collection plate on Sundays, automatic deduction from a checking or savings account, text message, payroll deduction or an employer match, a gift of stocks or mutual funds, or cash.
For more information on these options, click here.
The Committee
The Annual Pledge Campaign Committee is honored to be of service to you and Saint Mark’s: The Reverend Michele Morgan, Co-Chairs Nora Howell and Linell Grundman, Raiford Gaffney, Matt Dodge, Christoph Berendes, and Frank Nickerson. Please reach out to us with questions or concerns at canvass@stmarks.net.